October 8^th , 2017

9:30 am --------------------------Friends & Enemies, Love & Hate – John 15:14-27

10:00 am ---------------------------------------------The LORD is The God – 1 Kings 18

Bearing One Another’s Burdens – Galatians 6:1-5

In this section the apostle deals with several areas that are most important to those who know and love the Saviour.

1. Our attitude toward those who stumble and fall. 2. Our love for one another and our identification with those in trial. 3. Our humility and genuine modesty.

v. 1. We are redeemed, children of God, indwelt by his Spirit of holiness and grace; but we are still human, still flesh. The motions of sin, the desires of the flesh and the potential to fall are in every believer. Therefore, if a brother falls into sin of spirit, attitude, or flesh, we are to make every attempt to recover, restore and resettle him to his place of fellowship. The attitude of strong, mature, restrained believers toward the fallen is not to be critical, 'holier than thou' and condemning. It is to be a spirit of humility and meekness, for we know that the potential to commit any sin is in us, and we only stand by the grace of God! (2 Tim. 2:24, 25.)

v. 2. 'Bear one another's frailties, infirmities and weaknesses' (and we all have them). 'Don't desert, withdraw fellowship and condemn.' 'Love beareth all things.' Bear these burdens by comforting the brother while gently reproving him. Sympathize with and forgive him in genuine mercy. In doing so we will fulfill the royal law of Christ (John 13:34).

v. 3. 'Man at his best state is altogether vanity.' 'In my flesh dwelleth no good thing.' I owe my being, my knowledge, my mercies, my preservation and my gifts to God alone (1 Cor. 4:7). In myself and left to myself I am nothing and know nothing. Now if in pride and self-esteem I think myself to be something, I am deceived. Pride of face, race, place, or grace is an abomination to God (Prov. 6:16-18).

v. 4, 5. These two verses must be considered in the context! It is so easy to compare ourselves with weaker Christians, less gifted believers, or even fallen brothers, and to begin to think that we are something special, we are strong, or we are better than others. We are not to prove ourselves by other men's sins or actions, but in the light of God's glory and holiness. If we can find some measure of genuine spiritual growth and some evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, we can rejoice in what God has truly been pleased to do for and in us, rather than being buoyed up in vain hope simply because we are not as other men. Every man is judged according to his own works, not in a comparative view of others.

-- From Henry Mahan’s Commentaries

Remedies For Division Among God’s People (part 2) -- By Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)

Dwell upon those commands of God that require love. Another remedy against this device of Satan (division) is to dwell upon those commands of God that do require you to love one another. Oh, when your hearts begin to rise against each other, charge the commands of God upon your hearts and say to your souls, “O our souls, hath not the eternal God commanded you to love them that love the Lord? And is it not life to obey and death to rebel?” Therefore, look that you fulfil the commands of the Lord, for His commands are not like those that are easily reversed. They are like those of the Medes that cannot be changed (Dan 6:8, 15). Oh, be much in pondering upon these commands of God: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). It is called a new commandment because it is renewed in the gospel and set home by Christ’s example, and because it is rare, choice, special, and remarkable above all others. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (Joh 15:12). “These things I command you, that ye love one another” (Joh 15:17). “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law” (Rom 13:8). “Let brotherly love continue” (Heb 13:1). “Love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God” (1Jo 4:7). “See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1Pe 1:22). “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous” (1Pe 3:8). “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1Jo 3:11). “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment” (1Jo 3:23). “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1Jo 4:11).